COSTS, COMPLIANCE TOP CONCERNS IN-HOUSECost concerns were among the factors driving chief legal
officers’ hiring and firing decisions in 2003, according to
a new survey. And while a majority reports stable or improved
operations in light of new corporate governance rules, a significant
minority sees the situation differently.

These findings appear in the 2003 Chief Legal Officer Survey,
conducted annually by the Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC) and
Altman Weil.

Of the chief legal officers surveyed, 59 percent indicated
they have fired or were considering firing at least one of their outside
law firms in 2003, up 4.2 percent from 2002 and over 50 percent for the
fourth year running. The number one reason given for terminating a relationship
was ‘cost management issues,’ followed by ‘lack of responsiveness’ and ‘overworking
projects.’

When asked about the most innovative practice proposed
or instituted by outside counsel this year, CLOs ranked fee arrangements
number one — although only 22.6 percent of respondents were able to identify
any innovation at all.

The new corporate governance rules have not affected CLOs’ relationship
with senior management, according to 66.4 percent of survey respondents;
17.6 percent considered the relationship much improved, and only 10.7
percent thought the relationship had been affected adversely.

While paying dues, be sure to complete the voluntary pro
bono reporting for 2003 section on your 2004 fee statements.

Oregon Lawyers provide thousands of pro bono hours every
year. In order to understand the extent of these services, the Board
of Governors is requesting lawyers to voluntarily report their pro bono
hours on the fee statements. The hours will be tabulated for the Pro
Bono Challenge, sponsored by the Oregon New Lawyers Division.

OPINION SOUGHTOregon State University MBA students are required to write
a business plan. One such fictional business under development
is called Professional Adventure Works, Inc. It will be web-based,
providing a forum for single professionals to meet, socialize
and participate in group events and adventures. The idea is
to give professionals an opportunity to meet others with similar
interests and also to increase their business network.

Graduate student Chad Meengs is asking interested Bulletin readers
for market research help to determine if the idea has a viable future.
If you’d like to assist, take the quick survey at www.butlert.com/survey.
Meengs says the information gathered will strictly be used for academic
purposes. 'The survey was built in a fashion such that its participants
will remain completely and anonymous.'

The 2004 schedule of suggested values for law libraries
is now published online. The useful schedule of suggested
book values, used to calculate personal property taxes, is
provided by the Oregon Department of Revenue.

It can be found at Bar News Online, www.osbar.
org, or directly at www.dor. State.or.us/Property/ LawLib.pdf.

This schedule has been prepared by the property
tax division of the Oregon Department of Revenue. Owners
of law libraries should declare the schedule values to the
assessor.